Italy seeks bigger euro fund after tough debt sale (Reuters)

MILAN/ROME (Reuters) ? Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti sought reinforcement for the euro zone's bailout fund and pledged new efforts to boost the economy after a disappointing bond auction on Thursday underlined the threat to the country's shaky public finances.

Investors demanded a yield of nearly 7 percent on 10-year paper at the auction of medium- and long-term bonds, down from the record highs seen last month but still unsustainable given the 450 billion euros ($580 billion) that Italy needs to raise through debt issuance in 2012.

An unprecedented European Central Bank injection last week of nearly half a trillion euros of cheap funding for banks eased pressure at a short-term Italian debt auction on Wednesday, but longer-dated bonds still pose a challenge.

Monti put a brave face on the auction result, which analysts described as "slightly positive" or "average" at best.

"Auctions held yesterday and today went rather well, this is encouraging but the financial turbulence absolutely isn't over," Monti said during a traditional end-year press conference.

Italy, the euro zone's third largest economy, remains at the centre of the debt crisis that began in Greece two years ago and its borrowing needs could overwhelm the bloc's financial defenses if it were forced to seek an international bailout.

"A lot of work remains to be done but from this point on, this work has to be done in Europe above all," Monti said.

He said the European Financial Stability Facility, the bailout fund set up by euro zone governments, needs "significantly greater" resources but refused to quantify how much more was required.

Monti promised to outline a first package of growth measures to European partners next month and said the emphasis would be on liberalizing the economy, boosting competition and overhauling the jobs market, though he did not give details.

The measures will follow a 33 billion euro package of cuts and tax hikes aimed at balancing the budget by 2013 which was passed by parliament last week but which has been criticized for weighing too heavily on Italy's already sickly growth prospects.

Monti said he was aware that the austerity package had "many disadvantages" but said budget discipline was needed to restore confidence in Italy's public finances. However he added that European policy had to focus increasingly on growth.

"All mechanisms for making the application of this discipline more secure is welcome, provided it is integrated into a comprehensive European economic policy which has more resources to get the euro zone out of its current difficulties and above all promotes growth more," he said.

RECESSION

Italy's chronically weak economy over the past two decades has been one of the main factors in creating a debt burden that now amounts to around 120 percent of gross domestic product, second only to Greece in the euro zone.

Rigid labor rules - which give some workers iron-clad guarantees while forcing increasing numbers of young people to accept short term jobs with few prospects - an inefficient public sector, low productivity and choking red tape have long weighed on the economy.

Italy is widely considered to be heading for a severe recession next year and data on Thursday showed business confidence at its lowest for two years, with orders falling and the production outlook worsening.

Although he offered no firm timetable, Monti said the government would move quickly under pressure both from international partners and the bond markets.

"The timetable will be rapid. We aren't being permitted to work calmly," he said.

Underlining the pressure he faces, yields on 10-year bonds remained locked above 7 percent on the secondary market on Thursday, near the levels which forced Greece, Ireland and Portugal to seek an international bailout.

Italy sold 7 billion euros ($9 billion) of bonds at auction in thin holiday markets, just above the mid-point of its target range, but the yield on benchmark 10 year BTPs was 6.98 percent, not far from a euro lifetime record of 7.56 percent a month ago.

"Buying 10-year Italian bonds is a leap of faith which investors are prepared to take only at very high interest rates," said Nicholas Spiro of Spiro Sovereign Strategy. "There are simply too many risks and uncertainties surrounding Italy."

Its 3-year bonds sold more easily and their yield fell more than two percentage points at auction to 5.62 percent -- far below the euro era record of 7.89 percent that Italy paid to sell the same bond at the end of November. ($1 = 0.7724 euros)

(Additional reporting by Gavin Jones; writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111229/bs_nm/us_italy_bonds_auction

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Dos nuevos trailers de 'The Firm', nueva serie de NBC

Contenido spoiler.

'The Firm' (La Tapadera en Espa?a) con la producci?n ejecutiva de Lukas Reiter (Law & Order, Boston Legal, The Practice) y John Grisham y producido por eOne Television en asociaci?n con SPT Networks y Paramount Pictures, se estrena el 8 de enero en la NBC y llegar? a Espa?a el 19 de febrero de 2012.

El mayor bestseller de John Grisham fue llevado al cine en el a?o 1993 con una pel?cula que con el mismo nombre protagonizaba la gran estrella de Hollywood Tom Cruise. Rodada en Canad?, la reencarnaci?n televisiva de esta apreciada obra retoma la historia diez a?os despu?s de que el abogado Mitch McDeere derribase a la firma de abogados de Memphis al frente de la mafia de Chicago. Mitch y su familia intentan recuperar su vida mud?ndose a DC, para comenzar con su propia firma tras abandonar el programa de Protecci?n de Testigos. Pero como los fans de Grisham saben bien, no todo es lo que parece.

Entre el excelente elenco se incluye a Josh Lucas (El Inocente) y Juliette Lewis (Asesinos Natos). Lucas interpreta a Mitch McDeere, el personaje a quien dio vida Tom Cruise; mientras Lewis interpreta a la recepcionista de McDeere, Tammy Hemphill (interpretada por Holly Hunter en la pel?cula). Entre los actores canadienses de la serie se encuentran Molly Parker (Deadwood) en el papel de la mujer de McDeere, Abby; Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica) como su hermano Ray; y Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) como Alex Clark, su compa?era en la firma.

Grisham y Reiter son productores ejecutivos junto a John Morayniss (Haven, Hung), Michael Rosenberg (Hung, Skins) y Noreen Halpern (Rookie Blue, Hung) de eOne.

Dos trailers de 'The Firm', nueva serie de NBC
'The Firm': poster promocional de la nueva serie de NBC
Tricia Helfer se compromete con 'The Firm'
Callum Keith Rennie se une al elenco regular de 'The Firm'
Josh Lucas protagonizara 'The Firm', la serie basada en "La tapadera"
Una serie para ?La Tapadera? (The Firm)

Source: http://www.pizquita.com/noticia26139.html

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After Christmas Violence in Nigeria, Muslims Becomes Targets (The Atlantic Wire)

A homemade bomb was thrown at an Arabic school in southern Nigeria two days after a series of bombings that targeted churches on Christmas Day. No deaths were?reported?in Tuesday's assault, but among the wounded were six children under the age of nine.?

Related: Radical Sect in Nigeria Kills More Than 100

In a?separate?incident,?a Christian family was murdered?by gunmen in what police reportedly claim was a "religious?attack."

Related: Car Bomb Explodes at U.N. Offices in Nigeria

The recent increase in violence is raising concerns that a full-scale religious war could break out in a nation that is divided roughly in half between Muslims and Christians populations. Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group that opposes the Nigerian government, claimed?responsibility?for the Christmas attack that killed 32 people observing the holiday mass. It was the second year in a row that Christians had been targeted during the holiday. Those attacks came amid ongoing clashes between Boko Haram and government forces in the northern city of Damatruru that have forced around 90,000 people to flee their homes. Many of those who left have refused to move into?government?sponsored camps for fear that would make them an easier target.

Related: The Politics and Logistics Behind Bin Laden's Watery Grave

Religious leaders on both sides have condemned the attacks, but are finding it difficult to control individuals seeking revenge or who believe they're acting in self defense; particularly when one side, Boko Haram, is accused of trying to "disintegrate" the country,?

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111228/wl_atlantic/afterchristmasviolencenigeriamuslimsbecomestargets46713

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Dangerous mix: Iranian oil and U.S. sanctions (CNN)

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Project Management Tool Asana Unveils iPhone App for Collaboration on the Go [Ios Downloads]

iOS: Previously mentioned collaboration tool Asana made waves when it launched, but at the time it was missing support for mobile devices. Now, anyone with an iOS device can log in to their Asana account on the go, check in on their projects and activities, comment on tasks, and more.

When Asana launched, one of the features many people wanted was some way to access their accounts and to-dos on the go. The developers heard those pleas, and the new Asana iPhone app allows you to see your projects, upcoming to-dos, repeating tasks, and other items in the same, multi-layered view that makes the webapp popular. You can mark items as complete, comment on items, and while you can create tasks, they automatically get assigned to you, and you can change them on the web later. You can't reassign tasks in the mobile app either, but the developers note that they're working hard on the app, and right now they just wanted to give iPhone users a way to get into their accounts on the go.

Asana has updated several times since we looked at it last, so if you haven't tried it recently, it may be worth another look, specially if you have an iPhone or iPad and want to keep up with your to-dos on the go. The app is free in the iTunes App Store.

Asana | iTunes App Store via TechCrunch

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/WbaPXgxM14g/project-management-tool-asana-unveils-iphone-app-for-collaboration-on-the-go

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Japanese vending machine doubles as WiFi hotspot -- no purchase required

It looks as if facial scans for snack-dispensing purposes isn't the only mind-blowing feature on the whiz-bang generation of vending machines. Japanese company Asahi has just unveiled an advanced dispenser that's capable of doubling as a WiFi hotspot, so good luck getting through the mobs of leechers just to buy a soda. The machine sends out the internet waves free of charge and covers about 164 feet around it; of note, there's a 30-minute limit on each session -- but it's nothing that a fresh login can't solve. Asahi is planning on rolling out 1,000 of these in the upcoming year, but if you don't call the Land of the Rising Sun your home, you won't be able to experience the smart vendors anytime soon. Now, if only this same magic would slide over to park benches, blades of grass and molecules of oxygen, we'd be content.

Japanese vending machine doubles as WiFi hotspot -- no purchase required originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 25 basketball: Undefeated Murray State rallies behind new coach

Murray, Ky. ? Murray State players are on a mission: Prove hiring coach Steve Prohm was the right move.

So far, so good.

No. 20 Murray State is one of six undefeated Division I men?s basketball teams ? joining Syracuse, Louisville, Baylor, Missouri and Indiana. The Racers, out of the Ohio Valley Conference, are off to their best start in 75 years at 13-0.

When Billy Kennedy left for Texas A&M, senior forward Ivan Aska stated his case for the next coach with athletic director Allen Ward ? 37-year-old Prohm, an assistant on Kennedy?s staff.

Aska apparently was onto something. The Racers beat then-No. 21 Memphis on Dec. 11 and broke into the Top 25 regular-season poll for the first time in 40 years.

"I wanted to be with a coaching staff that knows the players and knows what we?re capable of," Aska said. "With a new coach coming in there would be a lot of drama and confusion because the coaches have to know the players and the players have to know the coaches, but coach Prohm has been there since my freshman year and it means he can relate to us ? he knows us inside and out."

Junior Isaiah Canaan, the team?s leading scorer at 19.3 points a game, said the difference in team production comes down to Prohm?s family approach.

"He loves his players like we were all his sons," Canaan said. "He probably cares about us more than he cares about himself and that makes us want to play even harder so we won?t let him down and show that we always have his back."

Story continues below

Prohm has even been known to get involved diving for loose balls in practice, saying he?s more interested in developing the character of his players as people than someone who can simply fill up a box score.

"If you?re going to win big, you?ve got to have great ability and great players," Prohm said, "But, if you have players with great character and great toughness, then you have a chance to go beyond the norm and do special things.

"Our biggest thing is having a great season, having great success and winning a championship, but to get these guys ready to compete. Whether it?s in the professional world athletically after this or if it?s the professional world from a business standpoint, you do that by talking to them. Whether it?s about their Christian walk, or helping them make the right decisions with integrity or representing the program the right way, because at the end of the day everything is bigger than just the game of basketball."

Murray State was tabbed to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference this preseason after being picked to win each of the past two seasons and earning at least a share of the regular-season title each time. More than half of the 13 players on Murray State?s roster were recruited by Prohm while he was on Kennedy?s staff.

"I don?t know if that makes a difference because Ivan Aska, I didn?t recruit him and he is a great leader and works his tail off every day and his leadership has been tremendous," the coach said. "I think they play hard because they?re great kids and know what it takes to win and I think we have a good relationship with one another. I think we have a good trust and that helps them compete and play hard, not for me but for Murray State."

Junior Latreze Mushatt, a transfer from Missouri-Kansas City, said Prohm?s mission comes through in practice and in games.

"Coach Prohm lets us have fun," Mushatt said. "We are prepared for anything and that?s what you want out of a head coach. We?re having fun out there because we believe in him and trust him."

Despite the perfect start to the season, Prohm said the team remains levelheaded and unselfish as they continue to press toward greater things.

"We?re only halfway through the season," Prohm said. "This isn?t time to have an ego, this is time to continue to come together as a team and try to get better on both ends of the floor and play for one another because you have your sights on something special, a chance to continue to do special things so you can?t be apart, we have to be closer than ever right now."

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/53185581-77/prohm-players-state-coach.html.csp

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Mozilla and Google extend search deal

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Source: www.newsreach.co.uk --- Sunday, December 25, 2011
The importance of SEO success in Google has been reiterated, after the search engine giant has agreed an extended deal with Mozilla Firefox. ...

Source: http://www.newsreach.co.uk/nr/rachel-jones/mozilla-and-google-extend-search-deal

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Sony ends its LCD joint venture with Samsung Electronics

by Swati on December 26th, 2011

Sony has agreed to sell its 50 percent stake in the LCD joint venture with Samsung Electronics to Samsung for $940 million, the company said on Monday.

The move comes after Sony decided to restructure its TV business, which has been running under loss for the past seven years.

?Under the agreement, Samsung will acquire all of Sony?s shares of S-LCD Corporation, the two companies? LCD panel manufacturing joint venture, making S-LCD a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung,? Samsung said.

The LCD joint venture between Sony and Samsung was established in 2004, when the consumer electronics market was booming. The financial crisis in 2008 then resulted in a slowdown in consumer demand.

?In order to respond to such challenging conditions and to strengthen their respective market competitiveness, the two companies have agreed to shift to a new LCD panel business alliance,? Samsung added.

Samsung?s full ownership of the venture will provide the company with more flexibility, speed and efficiency in panel production and business operations. Sony, on the other hand, plans to exploit its music and video applications and catch up with smartphone leaders such as Apple.

?

?

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5. Samsung, Panasonic, Sony To Start Selling 3-D TVs...

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RolePlayGateway?

[b][center]= Brief Questionnaire =
(Please answer each honestly. Two sentence minimum.)[/center][/b]

[center]a) If you could have two whole weeks for vacation and go and do
anything you wanted, what would you do and where would it be?

b) If your had a weakness for one of the seven deadly sins, which one
would it be and why? (Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth)

c) If you could bring one person back to life and spend a whole day
with him or her, who would it be and why?

d) If you won a three-million dollar lottery, what would you do
with the money?

e) If you could change one thing about youself, what would it
be?

f) What would you do to relax after a bad day?

g) Where would you go to hang out if you wanted to feel
comfortable?

h) What do you do when you are is angry?

i) Do you have a secret passion? What? Why is it a passion? And
why is it a secret? (Please note that this will be kept confidential.)

j) If you were asked to describe yourself, what would you say?

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m) Deep down, what do you really think of yourself? Do you
think you are fair, moral, honest, ect?

n) What do you think would make a perfect first date?

o) What do you consider romantic?[/center]

[b][center]= Basic Info =[/center][/b]
[center]Full name:
Behind the name (Optional, why were you named this?):
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[b][center]= Physical Appearance =[/center][/b]
[center]How old do you appear?:
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If no, why not?:
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[b][center]= Personality =[/center][/b]
[center]Do you drink?:
How much?:
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Greatest weakness?:
Soft spot:
Is your soft spot obvious, why/why not?:
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[b][center]= Favorites =[/center][/b]
[center]Favorite color:
Least favorite, why?:
Music:
Least favorite music, why?:
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[b][center]= Attitude =[/center][/b]
[center]Most at ease when:
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Why?:
If granted one wish what would it be? Why?:[/center]

[b][center]= Traits =[/center][/b]
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[b][center]= Peculiarities =[/center][/b]
[center]Biggest regret(s):
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[b][center]= Problems/Crisis =[/center][/b]
[center]How do you react in a crisis?:
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[b][center]= General =[/center][/b]
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Ancient "purity" seal found near Jerusalem temple site

JERUSALEM | Sun Dec 25, 2011 9:15am EST

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli archaeologists said on Sunday they had found a 2,000-year-old clay seal near Jerusalem's Western Wall, confirming written accounts of ritual practices in the biblical Jewish Temple.

The button-shaped object bears the Aramaic words "pure for God," suggesting it was used to certify food and animals used in sacrificial ceremonies.

The Western Wall is part of the compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, where Islam's al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock shrine now stand in a holy complex Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary.

"It seems that the inscribed object was used to mark products or objects that were brought to the Temple, and it was imperative they be ritually pure," the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement announcing the find.

The authority said it believed it was the first time such a seal had been excavated, providing direct archaeological evidence of ritual activity in the temple described in ancient texts.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/8aCjbOr3Gxk/us-israel-archaeology-idUSTRE7BO07O20111225

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Season 6 Episode 13 - The Wedding of River Song

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North Florida rolls past Florida A&M in men's basketball

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Putin crony appointed to top Kremlin staff post

?A former KGB colleague of Putin has been appointed chief of staff for the Kremlin, signaling continuing concern about the strength of the protest movement.

A close political ally and old KGB colleague of Vladimir Putin has been given the top Kremlin staff job, a move that some experts say is an effort by Mr. Putin to lock down the levers of supreme authority at a time when mass public protests threaten social instability.

Skip to next paragraph

Sergei Ivanov, a former KGB general who was defense minister for six years under Putin, was appointed chief of Kremlin staff Thursday by President Dmitry Medvedev, in a terse announcement published on Mr. Medvedev's official website.

Mr. Ivanov is considered to be one of the toughest, smartest and most experienced apparatchiks in Russian government, and his track record of loyalty to Putin is long and undisputed.

Experts say it's also significant that acting Kremlin chief of staff Vladislav Surkov, the architect of the Putin-era system of "managed democracy,"?was apparently passed over for the appointment.

Over 35,000 people have signed a Facebook pledge to attend a downtown Moscow rally on Saturday to protest against alleged vote rigging and political manipulation in the Dec. 4 Duma elections. Opposition leaders blame Surkov for orchestrating the fraud, as well as other restrictions in Russian politics that include refusing to register political parties and candidates that are too independent, channeling official resources and state media support behind the ruling United Russia party, and creating a network of pro-Kremlin pressure groups, such as the youth movement Nashi, to back Kremlin policies.

"It's important that Ivanov has been appointed at this time, because he is a strong and reliable figure who is 100 percent loyal to Putin," says Sergei Strokan, a columnist with the Moscow business newspaper Kommersant.

"It's a storm warning. It's clear that Russian authorities are rattled by how rapidly this protest movement is growing, and they are not sure how to respond. But they want a strong hand in that important and sensitive job. It shows that Putin is in charge, calling the shots and stacking the Kremlin with his own people," Mr. Strokan says.

"But it's equally important to note that Surkov was not appointed. He is a figure that is particularly irritating to the opposition, who blame him for all sorts of shenanigans. It's possible that Putin may be trying to take the pressure off ahead of more street rallies by sidelining Surkov. ? Basically, it illustrates that Russian authorities are trying to do something, but definitely want to hold on to all means of control."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/gqRb3hOiipA/Putin-crony-appointed-to-top-Kremlin-staff-post

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Walgreen 1Q profit drops on Express Scripts fight (AP)

NEW YORK ? Drugstore operator Walgreen Co.'s fiscal first-quarter earnings fell more than 4 percent due in part to a slow flu season and its decision to leave the Express Scripts Inc. pharmacy network next month.

Walgreen said it would consider a reasonable offer from Express Scripts but reported no progress in negotiations. A three-year contract between the companies ends Dec. 31, and since June, Walgreen and Express Scripts have said they were preparing to stop doing business, jeopardizing billions of dollars in sales for Walgreen.

Shares of Walgreen fell $2.05, or 6.1 percent, to $31.45 in premarket trading.

The nation's largest drugstore chain said the decision to stop doing business with Express Scripts cost a penny per share in sales at pharmacies open at least a year and a penny per share in expenses during the quarter.

The drugstore chain also said a delay in the cough, cold and flu season hurt earnings by another penny per share. The company administered 5 million flu shots through Nov. 30 compared with 5.6 million a year ago.

Walgreen said Wednesday net income fell to $554 million, or 63 cents per share, from $580 million, or 62 cents per share, a year ago, when it had more shares outstanding. Revenue grew 4.7 percent to $18.16 billion.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected, on average, earnings of 67 cents per share and $18.24 billion in revenue.

The Deerfield, Ill., company gets $5.3 billion in annual revenue from Express Scripts, which pays Walgreen and other drugstores to fill prescriptions. But it said it would rather give up that revenue than continue filling unprofitable prescriptions.

"While we remain open to any fair and competitive offer from Express Scripts, we firmly believe that accepting their proposal was not in the best long-term interests of our shareholders," Walgreen CEO Greg Wasson said in a statement.

Walgreen is trying to keep as many of those prescriptions as possible by making its own arrangements with companies and health plans. The company says it expects to keep 97 to 99 percent of its fiscal 2011 prescription volume in the new fiscal year, but analysts say Walgreen will lose most of the Express Scripts prescriptions.

Express Scripts also is trying to buy Medco Health Solutions Inc., another large pharmacy benefits manager. If that deal goes through, Walgreen may lose Medco's clients over time.

Walgreen's selling, general and administrative expenses also climbed 5 percent to $4.2 billion because of its acquisition of drugstore.com and other items.

Earlier this month, Walgreen said sales at stores open at least a year grew 2.5 percent during the quarter. However the Express Scripts fight reduced those sales by 1.1 percent. Sales at stores open at least a year are considered a key measurement of retailer health because they exclude results from stores that have opened or closed in the last year.

The company operates 7,812 drugstores nationwide.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_walgreen

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FootballJesus: I also snuck in a cover in NCAA in college hoops getting #Tulane to come in +20 pt at #Syracuse come on #BSUFootball - score again!

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NBA: Big 4 takes 1 more run at championship

1:00 AM

Retail angel alights in Waterville

WATERVILLE -- Assistant manager Laurie Brown described the angel who wrote a check to Kmart for more than $6,000 Tuesday as an ordinary man on the street.

1:00 AM

In topless coffee shop trial, state paints picture of jealousy

AUGUSTA -- Raymond Bellavance Jr. was attracted to Grand View Topless Coffee Shop waitress Krista MacIntyre because of the good sex he had with her, according to an arson investigator who interviewed Bellavance several months after a fire destroyed the shop.

1:00 AM

Armed robber kidnaps woman in Augusta

AUGUSTA -- A woman walking to her car after shopping at Walmart Tuesday night was kidnapped by an armed man, driven to a local bank and forced to withdraw money from her account, city police said.

1:00 AM

Parade to honor veteran at home

JACKMAN -- Afghanistan war veteran Sgt. Timothy Gilboe will be welcomed back as a hometown hero Thursday with a parade in his honor.

1:00 AM

Pingree wants explanation for recall

The U.S. Department of Agriculture should explain why it hasn't been able to identify the source of contaminated meat that landed on the shelves of Hannaford supermarkets, said U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree.

1:00 AM

More Cutler Files documents to be public

The latest development in the legal fight over a political attack website may give the public a better view into the workings of rival campaigns in Maine's 2010 gubernatorial election.

Source: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/r?19=961&43=585542&44=136039253&32=10362&7=625047&40=http://www.onlinesentinel.com/sports/big-4-takes-1-morerun-at-championship_2011-12-21.html

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New tool offers unprecedented access for root studies

ScienceDaily (Dec. 20, 2011) ? Plant roots are fascinating plant organs -- they not only anchor the plant, but are also the world's most efficient mining companies. Roots live in darkness and direct the activities of the other organs, as well as interact with the surrounding environment. Charles Darwin posited in The Power of Movement of Plants that the root system acts as a plant's brain.

Due to the difficulty of accessing root tissue in intact live plants, research of these hidden parts has always lagged behind research on the more visible parts of plants. But now: a new technology--developed jointly by Carnegie and Stanford University--could revolutionize root research. The findings will be published in the large-scale biology section of the December issue of The Plant Cell.

Understanding roots is crucial to the study of plant physiology because they serve as the interface between a plant and the soil--being solely responsible for taking up water and essential mineral nutrients. Roots must respond quickly to various environmental conditions such as water availability (for example, when being soaked by rain after a period of drought). They must find and exploit nutrients; they must respond to salinization and acidification of the soil; and they must integrate diverse signals such as light and gravity. All of these aspects are very difficult to analyze because of a root's inaccessibility in the soil.

The research team's efforts could revolutionize the entire field of root studies. The team is composed of a group of plant scientists, including the paper's lead author, Guido Grossmann, along with his Carnegie colleagues (Woei-Jiun Guo, David Ehrhardt and Wolf Frommer) and a group of chemical engineers from Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, (Rene Sit, Stephen Quake and Matthias Meier).

The new technology, called the RootChip, allowed the research team to study roots of eight individual seedlings at the same time, and to alter their growth environment simultaneously or independently and with extraordinary precision. Optical sensors, developed and inserted into the root tissue by Frommer's team, allowed the researchers to examine how the roots responded to changes in nutrient supply levels in real time.

"This new tool provides a major advance for studying root biology at the cellular and subcellular level," said Wolf Frommer, director of Carnegie's plant biology department. "The growth conditions can be freely varied over several days, allowing us to monitor actual growth and development of roots and root hairs and using our optical biosensors to study nutrient acquisition and carbon sequestration in real time."

The RootChip was capable of monitoring a root's response to changing levels of the sugar glucose in the surrounding environment. Root growth slowed down when the leaves were not exposed to light, as predicted, because the leaf's photosynthesis is required to supply the energy for root growth. The RootChip also revealed the long-suspected fact that galactose, a sugar highly similar to glucose, is toxic to roots and inhibits their growth and function.

The RootChip is a generic tool and can be altered to test any aspect of root physiology that can be analyzed visually. It can easily be modified to study more than 30 seedlings at the same time and can be expanded for use with plants used to make biofuels, such as Brachypodium and foxtail millet.

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Journal Reference:

1. Guido Grossmann, Woei-Jiun Guo, David W. Ehrhardt, Wolf B. Frommer, Rene V. Sit, Stephen R. Quake, and Matthias Meier. The RootChip: An Integrated Microfluidic Chip for Plant Science. The Plant Cell, December 20, 2011 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.111.092577

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220172634.htm

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Your Nexus S Could Taste Ice Cream Sandwich As Early As Today

Nexus S owners rejoice! While your Galaxy Nexus-toting friends have been rubbing a bit of Ice Cream Sandwich in your face, the year-old Nexus S will soon get its own taste of Android 4.0. According to the Android Google+ account, the rollout to Nexus S users will begin today and will continue through "the coming month." Ah, but there's a bit of a catch -- from what I can tell, the update is only meant for users of the bog-standard GSM Nexus and not the slightly more flashy 4G model. Sorry Sprint folks, you'll just have to wait a little longer for your chance to shine.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DOo10l7D6mc/

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Gary Oldman to be honored by Palm Springs film fest (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? The Palm Springs International Film Festival, which has already announced awards for a number of contenders deemed likely to land Oscar nominations, has now decided to honor an actor who's been inexplicably passed over by most voters so far.

Gary Oldman, whose performance in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is a marvel of understatement, will receive the festival's International Star Award, PSIFF announced on Friday.

"Gary Oldman is a performer whose ability to portray the most extreme of characters is a testament to the enormity of his talent," said the festival's chairman, Harold Matzner, in a statement. "In 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,' as the embodiment of John le Carro's classic spymaster George Smiley, he combines cunning, pathos, and cold determination when he is brought out of retirement to ferret out a double agent during the Cold War."

The International Star Award, according to PSIFF, is designed to honor "an actor or actress who has achieved both critical and commercial international recognition throughout their body of work."

Oldman's work includes roles in the "Harry Potter" and "Dark Knight" movies, as well as "Sid and Nancy," "Prick Up Your Ears," "JFK," "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "True Romance" and "The Contender." He has never been nominated for an Oscar.

Previously announced PSIFF honorees, all of whom will receive their honors at the festival's awards gala on Saturday, January 7, include George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams, Glenn Close, Octavia Spencer, Michel Hazanavicius and the creative team behind the film "Young Adult." The festival is expected to complete its slate of honorees with one additional announcement.

The awards gala will be held early in the run of the 23rd Palm Springs International Film Festival, which begins on January 5 and runs through January 16.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/film_nm/us_garyoldman_award

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AT&T, Sprint, Samsung, And HTC Weigh In On Their Use Of Carrier IQ

Senator Al Franken pressed certain members of the wireless industry over two weeks ago for answers about their use of Carrier IQ, the controversial monitoring software that sparked fears that our personal data was being tracked without consent. Now that the deadline has come and gone, Senator Franken had a chance to review their statements and publish them in full on his website. After reviewing each company's official responses to his questions, Senator Franken noted that he's still "very troubled" by the situation at hand.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Sv2UqU11rB4/

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Intel combines divisions in bid to boost mobile (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) ? Chipmaker Intel is combining four divisions under a new mobile and communications unit in a bid to catch up in smartphones and tablets, where it has so far failed to gain traction.

The new division combines Intel's netbook and tablets division, its ultra mobility division, the mobile communications division and the mobile wireless division, spokesman Robert Manetta told Reuters.

"The ultimate goal is we want to speed up and improve the development process," he said.

Intel's processors power 80 percent of the world's PCs but the Santa Clara, California company so far has failed in the fast-growing smartphone and tablet market.

The new division will be headed by Mike Bell, who moved to Intel last year after playing a hand in the development of the iPhone at Apple, and by former Infineon executive Hermann Eul.

Eul had headed Intel's mobile communications division, which included the cellphone technology business it bought from Infineon in January.

Intel's mobile wireless group is responsible for short-range networking like WiFi and the ultra mobility group has developed smartphone processors.

Intel has been adapting its PC chip architecture to be more suitable for mobile gadgets but it faces tough competition from rivals like Qualcomm and Texas Instruments.

They specialize in energy efficient chips -- a big factor for devices that rally on batteries -- using technology licensed from Britain's ARM Holdings.

Manufacturers are expected to unveil smartphones using a new Intel mobile chip, codenamed Medfield, early next year.

(Reporting by Noel Randewich, editing by Bernard Orr)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/semiconductor/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111214/wr_nm/us_intel

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House passes $662 billion defense bill (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The House passed a massive $662 billion defense bill Wednesday night after last-minute changes placated the White House and ensured President Barack Obama's ability to prosecute terrorist suspects in the civilian justice system.

The vote was 283-136 and reflected the strong support for annual legislation that authorizes money for the men and women of the military as well as weapons systems and the millions of jobs they generate in lawmakers' districts.

It was a rare instance of bipartisanship in a bitterly divided Congress. The Senate is expected to pass the measure on Thursday and send it to Obama.

The House vote came just hours after the administration abandoned a veto threat over provisions dealing with the handling of terrorism suspects.

Applying pressure on House and Senate negotiators working on the bill last week, Obama and senior members of his national security team, including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, had sought modifications in the detainee provisions.

Negotiators announced the changes late Monday, clearing the way for White House acceptance.

In a statement, press secretary Jay Carney said the new bill "does not challenge the president's ability to collect intelligence, incapacitate dangerous terrorists and protect the American people."

Specifically, the bill would require that the military take custody of a suspect deemed to be a member of al-Qaida or its affiliates and who is involved in plotting or committing attacks on the United States. There is an exemption for U.S. citizens.

House and Senate negotiators added language that says nothing in the bill will affect "existing criminal enforcement and national security authorities of the FBI or any other domestic law enforcement agency" with regard to a captured suspect "regardless of whether such ... person is held in military custody."

The bill also says the president can waive the provision based on national security.

"While we remain concerned about the uncertainty that this law will create for our counterterrorism professionals, the most recent changes give the president additional discretion in determining how the law will be implemented, consistent with our values and the rule of law, which are at the heart of our country's strength," Carney said.

Uncertainty was a major concern of FBI Director Robert Mueller, who expressed serious reservations about the detainee provisions.

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mueller said a coordinated effort by the military, intelligence agencies and law enforcement has weakened al-Qaida and captured or killed many of its leaders, including Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born radical Islamic cleric. He suggested that the divisive provision in the bipartisan defense bill would deny that flexibility and prove impractical.

"The statute lacks clarity with regard to what happens at the time of arrest. It lacks clarity with regard to what happens if we had a case in Lackawanna, N.Y., and an arrest has to be made there and there's no military within several hundred miles," Mueller said. "What happens if we have ... a case that we're investigating on three individuals, two of whom are American citizens and would not go to military custody and the third is not an American citizen and could go to military custody?"

Unnerving many conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats, the legislation also would deny suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation's borders, the right to trial and subject them to indefinite detention. House Republican leaders had to tamp down a small revolt among some rank-and-file who sought to delay a vote on the bill.

Some of the Republicans were concerned that the "president would use the military to round up American citizens," said Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., a member of the Armed Services panel.

The escalating fight over whether to treat suspects as prisoners of war or criminals has divided Democrats and Republicans, the Pentagon and Congress.

The administration insists that the military, law enforcement and intelligence officials need flexibility in the campaign against terrorism. Obama points to his administration's successes in killing bin Laden and al-Awlaki. Republicans counter that their efforts are necessary to respond to an evolving, post-Sept. 11 threat, and that Obama has failed to produce a consistent policy on handling terror suspects.

In a reflection of the uncertainty, House members offered differing interpretations of the military custody and indefinite detention provisions and what would happen if the bill became law.

"The provisions do not extend new authority to detain U.S. citizens," House Armed Services Chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., said during debate.

But Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said the bill would turn "the military into a domestic police force."

Civil rights groups were outraged by the legislation, and the White House's decision to drop the veto threat.

"As a former constitutional lawyer, the president should know better," said Raha Wala, advocacy counsel for Human Rights First. "This legislation not only undermines the Constitution, it compromises national security. The president needed to show leadership on this, and he's failed."

Highlighting a period of austerity and a winding down of decade-old conflicts, the bill is $27 billion less than Obama requested and $43 billion less than Congress gave the Pentagon. The bill also authorizes money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and national security programs in the Energy Department.

Frustrated with delays and cost overruns with the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft program, lawmakers planned to require the contractor, Lockheed Martin, to cover the expense of any extra costs on the next batch and future purchases of the aircraft. The Pentagon envisions buying 2,443 planes for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, but the price could make it the most expensive program in military history ? $1 trillion.

The legislation freezes $700 million for Pakistan until the defense secretary provides Congress a report on how Islamabad is countering the threat of improvised explosive devices.

It would impose tough new penalties on Iran, targeting foreign financial institutions that do business with the country's central bank. The president could waive those penalties if he notifies Congress that it's in the interest of national security.

The bill begins a reduction in defense spending, a reality the Pentagon hasn't faced in the decade since the Sept. 11 attacks. Pentagon spending has nearly doubled in that period, but the deficit-reduction plan that Obama and congressional Republicans backed this summer sets the Defense Department on a budget-cutting course.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and several other GOP defense hawks pledged to return to Washington next month with a plan to avoid automatic across-the-board cuts to defense required in 2013. The failure of Congress' deficit supercommittee last month means $1.2 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years, with half from defense.

Defense hawks said the 10 percent cut would hollow out the Pentagon and devastate U.S. military readiness.

McKeon introduced legislation to avert the cuts for one year by reducing the federal workforce by 10 percent. The savings would go to defense and nondefense spending.

____

Associated Press writers Pete Yost and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111215/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_defense

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UK court rules over detainee held by US troops

A British court has issued a landmark ruling that may lead to American forces releasing a Pakistani man held without charges for eight years.

The Appeal Court's ruling Wednesday said Britain has seven days to produce Yunus Rahmatullah.

American forces, who are holding Rahmatullah, are not bound by the British court ruling.

British troops in Iraq seized Rahmatullah in 2004, but then handed him over to the American forces who sent him at Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. military installation in Afghanistan . He's currently in US custody.

Although Rahmatullah is not a British national, the UK-legal charity Reprieve sued claiming that British forces were in breach of international law when they rendered him to U.S. custody without any explanation.

The Foreign Office says its lawyers are reviewing the judgment.

Source: http://www.sify.com/news/uk-court-rules-over-detainee-held-by-us-troops-news-international-lmph4kbjejh.html

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This McDonalds Drive Through Center Is Your Child's-Future Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. It's not a growth field, the benefits are lousy, and 30% of careers end in a hailstorm of bullets outside a bourbon-stained saloon. Give your progeny a chance at a better life, won't you? The choice is clear: they can either die a horrible death at the hands of McFibbins Gang, body eroded by dust storms and weevils, or they can be the Grease Masters and Card Swipers of Tomorrow. They can serve up salmonella smiles and diabetes dreams. If your love for your child is worth $30 or more, you'll get them started on the path of fryteousness today with this McDonald's Drive Through Center. It's like an extra value meal—for life. Yeehaw? Yeehaw, indeed. -BB More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/wpyr3rQpT6g/this-mcdonalds-drive-through-center-is-your-childs+future-deal-of-the-day

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Obama sets campaign theme: Middle class at stake (AP)

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. ? Declaring the American middle class in jeopardy, President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined a populist economic vision that will drive his re-election bid, insisting the United States must reclaim its standing as a country in which everyone can prosper if provided "a fair shot and a fair share."

While never making an overt plea for a second term, Obama's offered his most comprehensive lines of attack against the candidates seeking to take his job, only a month before Republican voters begin choosing a presidential nominee. He also sought to inject some of the long-overshadowed hope that energized his 2008 campaign, saying: "I believe America is on its way up."

In small-town Osawatomie, in a high school gym where patriotic bunting lined the bleachers, Obama presented himself as the one fighting for shared sacrifice and success against those who would gut government and let people fend for themselves. He did so knowing the nation is riven over the question of whether economic opportunity for all is evaporating.

"Throughout the country, it's sparked protests and political movements, from the tea party to the people who've been occupying the streets of New York and other cities," Obama said.

"This is the defining issue of our time," he said in echoing President Theodore Roosevelt's famous speech here in 1910.

"This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class," Obama said. "At stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home and secure their retirement."

For Obama, saddled with a weak national economic recovery, the speech was a chance to break away from Washington's incremental battles and his own small-scale executive actions. He offered a sweeping indictment of economic inequality and unleashed his own brand of prairie populism.

He spoke for nearly an hour to a supportive audience, reselling his ideas under the framework of "building a nation where we're all better off."

Billed as an important address that would put today's economic debates in context, Obama's speech seemed a bit like two packaged into one.

The first was that of the campaigner, full of loft and reclamation of American values. The second was the governing Obama, who recited his familiar jobs agenda, his feud with Congress over extending a Social Security tax cut, even his fight to get his consumer watchdog confirmed.

Obama tied himself to Roosevelt, the president and reformer who came to this town in eastern Kansas and called for a "square deal" for regular Americans. Roosevelt said then the fight for progress was a conflict "between the men who possess more than they have earned and the men who have earned more than they possess."

It is a theme Obama is embracing in a mounting fight for re-election against Republicans who, regardless of the nominee, will attack his stewardship of the economy.

One of the leading contenders for the GOP nomination, Mitt Romney, ridiculed Obama for comparing himself to Roosevelt.

Obama "said that he is like Teddy Roosevelt," Romney said at a campaign event in Paradise Valley, Ariz. "And I thought, `In what way is he like Teddy Roosevelt?' Teddy Roosevelt of course founded the Bull Moose Party. One of those words applies."

Kirsten Kukowski, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said, "Maybe instead of trying to be like other presidents, Obama should try being president."

Obama took aim at the Republicans, saying they would only return the same structures that led to America's economic downturn. "Their philosophy is simple: We are better off when everyone is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules," Obama said. "I'm here to say they are wrong."

The president conceded that the country is in the midst of a consuming re-examination on his watch, prompting national movements against both government spending and an economy that many feel disproportionately favors the elite. Obama went on the offensive about income inequality, saying it distorts democracy and derails the American dream.

Responding to those who want to cut taxes and regulation in the belief success will trickle down, Obama said: "Here's the problem: It doesn't work. It's never worked."

Obama noted that Theodore Roosevelt was called a "radical, a socialist, even a communist" for putting forth ideas in his last campaign such as an eight-hour work day, a minimum wage for women, unemployment insurance and a progressive income tax.

Left unsaid: Roosevelt's Bull Moose campaign in 1912 failed to return him to the White House.

Obama attempted to sum up the pain and peril for a society where the middle class is struggling. But he also called for individual responsibility.

"In the end," he said, "rebuilding this economy based on fair play, a fair shot and a fair share will require all of us to see the stake we have in each other's success."

Obama also challenged the big banks that took bailouts from American taxpayers, pointing to "a deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street." He said banks that were bailed out had an obligation to work to close that trust deficit and should be doing more to help remedy past mortgage abuses and assist middle-class taxpayers.

___

Feller contributed from Washington. Associated Press writers Erica Werner and Kasie Hunt contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111207/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama

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